5:6 The hand of the Lord was heavy. See v. 11 and notes on vv. 1, 4; 2:9. The Lord is not tamed by friend or foe. Refusing to be manipulated by Israel, God departed to the territory of Israel’s enemies (4:21). There He demonstrated His sovereignty, causing the Philistines to feel the weight of His hand in judgment.

tumors. The most plausible explanation of the tumors is that they were symptoms of bubonic plague, transmitted by rodents.